Animatronic Eyes

I wiped my face again while Jack carried on a conversation with Cyrus.

Be calm, be cool. Nothing is wrong, you've just been staying up too late and working to long, you're tired, that's all.

After a few more minutes, I genuinly felt that way. I was finally able to join the conversation and smile, laugh and I began to feel more normal by the minute. We parked a couple yards from the closest entrance to the mall, w'd have to cut through a K-Mart to get where we were going.

I hugged my denim jacket tighter around my torso as we walked towards the massive building. A cool breeze rustled the leaves around us and the sticky sweat covering my skin had gone cold and gave me chills.

I honestly thought that Jack was feeling a little off himself, being the only boy in the group, he didn't look as eager to join the conversations about boys, makeup, cute clothes and tampons as he seemed when we were invited. He looked a little dazed, actually. His hands were tucked into his pockets and he wore a similar clothing assemble as I did: Converse, jacket, jeans and a random band shirt. His black hair was ruffled waves the wind tossed back and fourth.

"We're going to get a burger at Ben and Jay's and then we'll go shopping." Jess told me, hanging back a few steps from Cyrus, Jack saw this opening and took it, nonchalantly moving to her side, her eyes down on her phone as she walked, she hadn't even noticed him approach.

"Maybe we'll split up, I don't think Jack will be all that enthused to wander around dress stores for hours." She laughed, I did too and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, probably not."

"You ain't talkin' about me, back there, are ya?" Jack looked back at us, a big grin on his face. Cyrus had put her phone away and glanced at him.

"What are you looking for here?"

Jess looked at me, almost offended. "Wha... Girl, you don't even have the shopping spirit. No girl has ever needed to know what she was buying in a clothing store before she does..." She laughed anyways.

I'd never really noticed it, but both Jess and Cyrus had this extraordinary fashion sense about them, like vintage steampunk. And now as I look at them, I realize how unusual their hair color is.

Cyrus has cropped green hair with a few red streaks, and Jess has long blond hair with purple streaks.

"Actually, since you ask, me and Cyrus usually go shopping at this one place on the weekends." Jess says with a shrug a moment later. "It's called Carlington Ave." She adds with a grin. "They sell all these, like, vintage clothing in there."

Bingo.

"Cool." I nodded, still trying to concentrate hard on the things around me, they seemed to ward off the insanity.
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Maybe I missed all the details of the night, or maybe we really did nothing but stand still. I remember eating dinner with Jack, Jess and Cyrus. I remember cooing at the puppies in the pet store window as we walked by and pausing to look around a Claire's store in the mall. But I never arrived at Carlington Ave. alongside them.

We were walking towards the wide doorway, that was dark and gloomy inside. Right outside the doors were racks of fishnet gloves and beanie hats with band logos.

"Decsi!"

I spun around and scanned the crowds, until a boy, easily six inches taller than me, half sprinted through them, flanked by three other boys I'd never seen before, struggling to keep up with him. Why was I surprised? To see him here, of all nights, and dressed in something other than the required ichy cop uniforms.

Franky had a big grin, this was common for him though. He finally stopped running when he was close enough to talk to me like a normal person.

"Er, oh, how've you been?" he asked awkwardly, looking around us, scratching the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish as though expecting a scold.

"I've been good, how've you been?" I replied.

"Good, good yeah. I just haven't heard from you in a while... And I thought maybe you didn't...." He shrugged a little, and then it clicked for me.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed, my heart dropping to the pits of my stomach. "I completely forgot about that. I'm sorry, I've been working and... Ugh, it's a stupid excuse, I know. I'm sorry."

Franky grinned instead of milking my humilation. "It's fine, I talked to your dad and he said he didn't know what was up, just said you expanded your volunteer work."

The day after my 'date' with Franky, he'd texted me and offered more information if I wanted to hook up with him sometime to talk. And as Blake's disappearance took place, the importance of it slipped away and before I knew it, I was breaking into his house looking for clues with Jess.

"I'm such a blond, ugh..." I sighed, looking down, embarassed.

"Hey, hey, it's cool." He laughed, patting my shoulder. "oh, this is Bill, Jason and Twitch." He gestured behind him, to three guys in hoodies and band tees. They stood a little uncomfortably.

"HI, Franky's told us you're Decsi and you're awesome!" one of them said, rushing forward and shaking my hand as though he'd just downed four cups of coffee, two mountain dew's and a six pack of Red Bull.

"That would be Twitch..." Franky said from beside him, setting a hand on his shoulder. Twitch was the shortest of the group, shorter than me. Buzz cut and brick jawline with crazed hazel eyes.

"He kinda believes in... Recreational Red-Bull drinking." One of the other boys said. He came forward and knocked Twitch aside to shake my hand. "I'm Bill, that's Jason." He motioned to the other boy, who smiled at me, but had a black hoodie on, the dark hood draped around his face with blue headphones on. "He's always like this, BTW." He laughed, wrapping an arm around Twitch's shoulders, to restrian him descreetly. Twitch eyed a rack of stuffed animals outside a toystore with the crazed look in his eye with a need to go over and run through them.

"This crazy dude ended up with us in kidnergarden." Jason spoke up, his lips wry and he suppressed a laugh.

"Hey guys, can I talk to Decsi for a moment?" Franky asked them, the look he gave them was one of calmness, maybe he was more comfortable with knowing these guys since kidnergarden than most people I know.

Bill and Jason each looped arms with Twitch and walked towards a skateboard store across from us. They didn't look over their shoulders, snicker or make faces at Franky for it.

"What's up?" I asked cheerfully, tucking my hands into my jean pockets.

"Actually, I really don't know if I shoul tell you, since you seemed to have taken a liking to your volunteer work." He shrugged and looked thoughtful.

"What?"

Franky looked over my shoulder, I looked back, too. My friends stood there patiently, except Cyrus, she looked a little fidgity. "Guys, go ahead, I'll catch up in a minute."

Jack paused, nodded and turned away, they walked together towards the big gaping doorway with Reincarnate by Motionless in White poured from. I looked back up at Franky.

"C'mere."

He tugged my sleeve a little and I followed him over to a bench secluded beneath a giant indoor tree, reaching for the skylights. We sat down, he grabbed his wallet and phone out of his back pocket and set them in his lap.

"I got these at work today. I have to take them back tomorrow, so do your thing quickly." He said with quiet urgency, opening his bi-fold wallet and rifling through the ones and fives, pulling out a folded sheet of paper, he flattened them out and handed it over to me.

It was hard to tell what it was at first, I read the case number at the top, slowly working my way down, reading some cops' messy handwriting until I could decipher it into something I understood.

June 26th, 1991
Man by the name of Clark Miller was found hiding in backroom of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria on the 26th of June at 9:32 PM. He was arrested for the disappearance of five children. Further investigation continues-

June 30th, 1991
Children remain unrecovered. George, Brandon, Alice, Sarah and Melonee were their names. Search proceeds, no new evidence.

July 3rd, 1991
Clark plead guilty for the murders of the five children, but wouldn't say where their remains were, how he did it or why.

July 4th, 1991
Clark was found dead in his cell at 4:28 AM on Thursday morning. He hung himself in his cell using his belt. No new evidence will be aquired.

August 27th, 1991
Reports were filed by patrons of the restarant regarding lack of cleansliness, bad smells coming from the animatronic mascots, and a few parents noted what appeared to be blood and mucus around the eyes and mouth of the animatronics and compared them to 'reanimated corpses'. This was quickly discarded as everyday dirtiness as the costumes have not had a bath in over fifteen years.

September 11th, 1991
The establishment has faced multiple setbacks from the murders. Health department has payed visit and reports of mold, mice and bugs in the store led to the decision that the resturant has three weeks to rid them to remain in business.

September 17th, 1991
Any further and past cases regarding Freddy Fazbear's pizza are now closed.

NOTES:
The store has taken a major hit to the knees after the Bite of 87' took place and now this. Fear is stricken into everyone, the building is undergoing a managment shift and makeover.

It was a log. Containing all that had ever happened there. Why had they kept it such a secret? Mr. Miller didn't say anything for fear of scaring us away. Maybe this was why no one volunteered there anymore.
I couldn't think of anything to say, I just looked down blankly at the piece of paper in my hands.

"Thank God it was already all folded like that, I'll get my ass chewed for tampering with evidence, even if the case is closed." Franky laughed to lighten the mood, but I didn't feel anything other than dread. It hit me and it hit me hard. Could something have happened to Blake of this fashion? I couldn't be sure.

"Blake..." I murmured.

"What?"

"My friend..." I cleared my throat and finally looked up "I met him the day I started... And, uh..." I paused, "Sorry..." I whispered, trying to get my bearings. "he disappeared after spending the night there."

"Blake Don? He worked there, right?"

"Yeah. You knew him?"

"Went to school with him, actually. I remember all he wanted to do was be a graphic design artist. Never found a notch though, and he ended up there when no one else would hire him. Really, Blake was one in a million."

"Yeah.." I agreed. "Jess told me that's what he wanted, what I don't understand, though, is why... I mean, Mr. Miller told us that Blake called before opening and said he'd gotten his dreamjob and that he was leaving. Yet... We couldn't find any evidence that he actually ever left the pizzeria that night." I shook my head.

"And you're worried now?" He asked, leaning forward to look at my face. I nodded. "I am. I think something bad happened to him..."

"Do you want me to look into it?" Franky was going into full on cop-investigation mode.

"I'm not sure what else there is to find. Jess is getting worried, too. They were joined at the hips. And he hasn't texted, called or anything."

Franky nodded thoughtfully. "Ok, I'll look into it tonight after I drop my guys off. But first, you need to tell me everything you know."

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked quietly, chewing my lip anxiously.

His eyes softened. "I'll keep it until I die."

I laughed. "Well... It's not that intense of a promise, but yesterday... Me and Jess kinda broke into his house and into the pizzeria after hours looking for evidence..." I said, biting my lip, watching his expression.

Franky broke out laughing, unexpectedly. "Wow, ok. Not what I was expecting. Well, start from the beginning, when you first met Blake, what happened after and the following day. Did he show any evidence of wanting to leave before-hand?"

I shook my head. "Not that I know of... I only knew him a few hours."

"Who was closest to him out of your coworkers?"

"Jess." I blurted out. "definately Jess, they were like brother and sister."

"I can ask her questions too if you want...?"

"I'd prefer not, she's worried enough right now, maybe we can just figure it out?"

He smiled at my wryly. "You are so hard to work with." He laughed. "I won't interview her, yet. I'll look into it more, do what I can. I'll get back to you soon."

I nodded. Soon... Would it even be soon enough? As I thought about it, I began to feel this dreading feeling. Like something happened to him, and I was too busy going on shopping trips and on dates to prevent.

"Ok."